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Science

‘Homeopathy is nonsense’: Almost anyone who has understood science the right way already knows that homeopathy is utter bogus, closer to magic than actual medicine. And yet, many people swear by homeopathy and continue to consume balls of sugar dipped in alcohol hoping and believing it is actually going to cure them.

Darwin’s Theory and Atheism: Darwin’s theory supports an atheistic argument much more than a theistic one. He is a poster boy for many atheists for the obvious reason that his theory transcends the personal belief system of Charles Darwin and paves for a Universe which can be explained without intervention of a God. Charles Darwin’s theory on evolution of life on our planet makes existence of God less probable.

I am an atheist...: I am not an atheist because it’s cool. I am not an atheist because I think science can disprove god. I am an atheist because of one simple fact: The burden of proof lies on religion. If you propose the existence of something, you must follow the scientific method in your defense of its existence.

Discoveries and Inventions: Religion’s attitude towards inventions is a welcoming one while it shuns discoveries. If I were to put it in crude way, religion promotes inventions while it discourages discoveries. While religions and religious people are ready to embrace the byproducts of science that come as a tools of technology, they continue to have skeptical view of science and scientists.

Numerology: another pseudo-science: Irrationality is being embraced consciously by arresting one’s mental faculties. We see Indians in very big positions, including those who run our governments and industries, believing in one pseudo-science or the other. And sitting next to him is some pseudo-scientist (if I may call them), a quack, a charlatan, who is making a quick buck feeding on his conscious naiveté.

Darwin’s Birthday: Darwin reduced Man to almost nothing like nobody before. Evolution, like Theory of Gravity, has changed our perception of the Universe and our place in it. Nature did not treat humans special. In fact, our journey has not been very different from that our nearest cousins – chimpanzees.

Darwin’s Theory and Atheists: Darwin gave atheists a tool to make their case. His theories have implications far greater than what Darwin imagined in his lifetime – though he had a hunch that he was up against religion in many ways. His Theory of Evolution is how Nature works, and that’s the beauty of it – which is universal – at least as far life on this planet is considered.

Darwin’s Theory: Detractors: Most pseudo-scientific arguments create gibberish using scientific words. Just because it uses scientific words doesn’t make it science, the way using stars, planets and mathematics as symbols does not make astrology a science, or the way using wind energies, magnetic forces as symbols does not make vaastu shastra a science.

Darwin: Science and Religion: Of late many people think that Science is another ‘belief system’. If religious people stand by their Religion against all onslaught from rationalists and atheists, ‘believers’ of Science stand by their ‘faith’ against all criticism – refusing to accept debate, reason or scrutiny. How are scientists any different from religious priests? If religion is a faith, founded in blind belief and dogma, so is Science, they contest.

Darwin: A query from a commenter: Aren’t scientists the same as religious priests who ask people to just believe them without giving any proof? Why should we believe a scientist who says he went to Moon and not the religious priest who confesses he met an angel the other night?

Darwin: A query from Commenter [2]: Enough evidence has come about recording small mutations and adaptations within the recorded history of man to further suggest that Evolution is taking place right now but at a pace that is quite slow for humans to comprehend within a generation.

Indians and Darwin: If Indians are well-versed at one particular field of Science, it is Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. We believe in ‘the survival of fittest’ concept like no other culture. In our interpretation of ‘the survival of the fittest’, we believe opportunity is race that is open for everyone to compete as individuals without making provisions for inclusion of different groups.

LHC, Big Bang: Mega Instrument: As we increase our understanding on the Universe works, we push ignorance into a remote corner. No longer can rudimentary telescope help us in making new discoveries. We need bigger and better instruments like Hubble Telescope to see farther into Universe. No longer can we use rudimentary cathode tube experiments to know the behavior of particles. We need bigger and better machines like LHC.

Big Bang: I have become a believer!: [Satire] Thank you, Aaj Tak, the great Indian TV Channel, for having instructed Indian viewers how some miniature black holes will suck up entire earth. And Thank you, Chhaya of Sarangpur, for committing suicide to create awareness of impending doomsday.

Decline of Science in India I: Science is on the decline in India. There are not many scientists in the making. It is not pursued as a career. It is not pursued by the government and its agencies. It is not pursued by the multinationals and private companies of India.

Decline of Science in India II: By shunning the pursuit of science, we are curbing the free thought, creativity, and the ability to question and reason. By treating our ancient texts as alternate science, we are bringing in sanctity, orthodoxy, to justify ignominious rituals and practices of this country.

Decline of Science in India III: Indian Scientists believe in miracles. Instead of working hard in a laboratory, they spend their energies invoking the blessing of sky gods. No wonder there is negligible scientific output. 38% of Indian Scientists believe that ‘God works miracles’. And 24% believe that ‘holy men perform miracles’.

On God-fearing people: According to some religious people, if someone is god-fearing then he is morally upright. ‘Since he fears god, he will not do wrong thing’, their reasoning goes. I find that reasoning quite amusing. What about doing the right things? If God is solely interested in maintaining an account book on wrong things, what about the right things?

Einstein on God: In no way Einstein was a religious man as people describe their religions, and no way he was a believer in personal god as people define their gods. Einstein’s ideas on his personal god were closer to atheists, though he maintained respect for the necessity of religion.

Vedic Science Vs Modern Science I: Vedas are Vedic. Let them be. They are ancient. There is nothing scientific about them. However, we see many trends in modern India which suggest the contrary. There is an attempt to glorify these ancient texts as alternate science.

Vedic Science Vs Modern Science II: Most of the attempts at Vedic Sciences are aimed at mimicking scientific documents by using similar style but making no sense. Just because someone uses mathematical equations, it doesn’t make it mathematics. Logic, deduction, rational explanation, and other tools of mathematics are completely absent from this attempt.

Why Indians think Religion and Science are the same?: Indians are taught their lessons not through discourse, not through investigation, not through empiricism, but as a dogma, where a set of beliefs are shoved down your throat, unquestioned, just like the way a religion is taught.

Sethusamudram Project: The religious Hindus are opposed to this. Not because they think it affects the marine biology or because it is expensive but because they think that this Adam’s Bridge is nothing but a bridge constructed by Lord Rama with the help of army of monkeys to invade Lanka.

India low on Vitamin S: India is now running extremely low on Vitamin S – where S stands for Science. The lack of this vitamin has led to a disease called ‘our sentiments are hurt’. The first sign of this disease is that human emotions and sentiments become more important in the matters of running the state whereas logic and reason are booted out of the door.

ABC of Ram Sethu: To suggest that Rama existed is a matter of belief. Whether he existed or not is irrelevant to dredging of Ram Sethu. What is important is to know if Adam’s Bridge/Ram Sethu is a man-made construction or not. All evidences suggest that it is not, expect certain quotations from mythology and some blind beliefs.

Why Hindus are so upset?: Not equipped with the tools of rational and logical thinking, most Indians get carried away by rhetoric, blind belief and superstition. They do not differentiate between what is evidence and what is ‘collective conscience’. They do not differentiate between myth and reality. According to them, Rama is real and you just have to accept it. No proof required.

Where are the Indian Scientists?: Shouldn’t we present facts and evidences in a court of law to counter the faith’s petition citing mythology as evidence? Aren’t scientists getting a bit pusillanimous here? Today it is about Ram Sethu, tomorrow it is about banning a book, and then it is about stopping all genetic engineering, and then it is about establishing superiority of races through such apocryphal evidences! Didn’t we already witness this trend in our history in a different part of the world?

Science and Mythology: Ram Sethu: “Why do you question mythology? Is Science good enough to answer all the questions? Is Science infallible?” Science is not infallible. In fact, the basic premise on which science is constructed is on questioning: “Really?”, “Are you sure?” “Where is the proof?”

First, to say humans are ‘originally 100% vegetarian’ is patently wrong, because there is no valid case to suggest this. Also, to say humans are completely meat eaters is also wrong, because there is no strong case for this either. Most studies suggest we are omnivorous.

Astrology Vs Science I: The reason why many think Astrology is science is because it deals with stars, constellations, mathematical calculations which are the tools or ingredients of the prevailing sciences. This is a ridiculous argument. Using goat’s entrails to predict whether it would rain does not make it biology or meteorology.

Astrology Vs Science II: Linda Goodman debunked: Is she telling me that I am supposed to correlate myself with a sign that is laid out on the stars and constellations which some primitive man out of boredom called it a ‘balance’ in the night sky? Actually, there is no limit to the number of constellations. There is no reason why it can’t be 1024 constellations instead of just 12.

Pseudo-science: Vaastu Shastra: Most pseudo-sciences are designed to deceive people. Smarter the people, smarter the deceivers! The proponents of pseudo-sciences devise elaborate mechanisms, terminology, and introduce new concepts which closely resemble those of real science.

Sexual Practices in Nature: Understanding nature helps in understanding humans. It helps us in realizing that this nature has all kinds of sexual practices and that our notion of normal sex is just one of many other possible ‘normal’ practices.

Is Homosexuality natural?: To consider homosexuality to be unnatural or abnormal is completely wrong. It’s not an ailment that can be cured; it’s not a disease that can be eradicated. It is not a mental condition that can be corrected through therapy.

Vedas and Science: Science throws out clear theories (based on commonly agreed axioms) which can be taken up by anyone and reach the same conclusions, while Vedas do not have any such theories; and to get to the same conclusion, one has to rely on leaps of faith, intuition and supposedly some revelations.

Slow Starters have Higher IQ?: If you want smarter kids, don’t let them do anything other than observe, feed and sleep, and meanwhile, keep telling yourself that you are allowing your kid to grow smarter.

Why?: There are so many 'Why's that science cannot answer. And most probably it can never answer them. But a theologian had always answered these even before they were asked. He attributed everything to God.